Conflicting Feelings
by Wildwulf
Summary: Shortly after the war against Nergal ended, Erk returned to Etruria to continue his studies, but about a week later, he gets visit from a girl he remembers all too well, and his entire opinion of her changes in one night...


It was a warm afternoon as the sun was setting behind the hills close to the castle of the Reglay family. It's bright rays were shining through the windows, and behind one of them, a purple-haired mage was sitting behind a bright-lit brown desk in his room, his eyes shifting constantly from left to right reading the inscriptions in a book as part of his self-indulged study's.

Though just as he was reading with undisturbed attention through the book, he suddenly heard knocking on the door. He jumped up from the sudden noise as he wasn't used to knocking that was this loud. 'AH!' Erk nearly skipped a heart beat in surprise, and he walked towards the door, mumbling: 'Please calm down with that knocking…' though much to his shock, he found a familiar girl standing at the doorstep, clad in a white long dress and wearing a long purple scarf, smiling in contrast to his expression. 'Erky!' she said in a excited manner. 'Are you surprised to see me?'

'S-Serra?' Erk responded as he tried to calm himself down from the surprise, and quickly put on his usual serious expression. 'What brings you to Master Pent's mansion, or to me, for that matter?' Serra explained quickly tapping her healing staff on the ground: 'Well, after we parted ways at Badon a week ago, I returned to Ostia, but unfortunately, the high bishop serving the Ostian court there told me that I forgot to bring back a important tome I was allowed to borrow before I accompanied Lord Hector on his quest, and I should retrieve it as soon as possible.'

Serra looked at him and continued: 'And I then recalled that I most likely left my tome by accident in your bag when I was reordering my personal items while on that ship, so I set out for Etruria immediately after asking Lord Hector where you lived, and ended up here in about 2 days of traveling, and all alone may I add!' Erk could easily imagine why she was traveling alone and wanted to make a remark about that, but he decided to continue the conversation so she could finish her business here sooner.

'Hmm…I do recall having a odd tome amongst my own books and tomes when I returned here, but I thought it was just another one of my own that I haven't read yet. Wait here while I check my bookc-AH!' he suddenly saw Serra speed past him in his room, and quickly checking her eyes across the room for the bookcase, then speeded towards it and checked all of the books that were neatly arranged. Erk frowned and shouted: 'Be careful, it took me more than a hour to arrange them like that!' Serra found the tome she was looking for after about 30 seconds of checking the sides of the books, and grabbed it. 'Yes! Oh, blessed St. Elimine, thanks to your guidance I won't be punished!' She said looking out of the window toward smiling, and headed towards the hallway, Erk sighing as he was at least glad that she didn't stay too long in his room to annoy him, but he followed after her to make sure she didn't end up longer in the mansion than that she needed to be.

Though just as the two arrived down the stairs in the main hallway, they were greeted by a cheerful older woman with long blonde hair and a warm smile walking out of the parlor. 'Oh, Erk!' Erk smiled faintly, and kindly responded back: 'Oh, hello, Lady Louise.' She then turned her attention to Serra. 'And, Serra, did you manage to find what you were looking for?' Serra nodded and smiled: I sure did, Lady Louise! But I need to get going now, I don't want to keep the Ostian Court worried about my safety!' She was about to run off towards the front doors, but she was stopped by Louise's words. 'Wait a minute, dear…' Serra turned around stopping in her tracks, Erk also raising a eyebrow. 'Wouldn't you like to spend the night in here? The sun is setting now and it won't be long before nightfall comes around. I understand you're eager to return to Ostia, but I'm quite worried about a young girl like you traveling all alone in the dark.'

Erk felt as if his face was about to turn white of fear, having flashbacks of the time he endured with Serra trying to cope with her antics and ramblings while escorting her back to Ostia and when he traveled with Lady Priscilla. And now he would have to endure her for one whole night in his home? He felt the urge to protest loudly against it, but he could never object against Lady Louise's kindhearted nature. Serra smiled with a gleeful grin. 'Oh, that's most kind of you, Lady Louise! I'll gladly accept that offer. You see, my feet are feeling a bit sore from all that walking…' Louise looked with a concerned look at the girl and pointed to the stairs. 'Oh, poor girl…oh, you, could you please help me?' Louise shouted to a nearby servant girl walking by, who came in her direction. 'Of course, milady. What can I can do for you?' 'Please prepare a bath and clean clothes for this girl here, she walked a big distance and could really use a refreshment.'

'Of course, milady. Please follow me, miss…?'

'Serra.' the giro followed the servant up the stairs, and Louise turned her attention to Erk. 'Oh, Erk, I wanted to tell you that Lord Pent is waiting in the gardens for you. He wants to practice your skills with magic further.' Erk got nervous, but tries to maintain his calm self. 'M-Master Pent wishes to test my skill further? But we aren't yet at the weekly magic training he performs with me every week…' Louise just put on her usual happy and reserved smile, and tried to comfort Erk, easily seeing his emotional stress. 'Don't worry, I'm sure everything will be fine, don't forget that Lord Pent also cares deeply for you.' Her words seemed to calm Erk, as his eyes showed no signs of stress anymore. 'I see, thanks, Lady Louise.' He then headed off towards the gardens while Louise smiled after him and found his teacher and foster father of sorts, the bue-haired Lord Pent of Reglay waiting amongst the bushes. 'Ah, Erk. Good timing.' He commented as he saw his student approach him. 'Master Pent, you wanted to see me?' Erk questioned with his ever so humble tone.

'Yes. You see Erk, I wanted to try practicing one of the most powerful anima tomes in existence with you so I can see how much your mastery of it has improved. He was holding a very rare tome in his hands, a Excalibur one. 'Master, isn't that…Excalibur, one of the most ancient and rarest tomes in existence?' Erk widened his eyes. Pent nodded and explained further: 'Yes…I managed to claim it from that Valkyrie woman after she was defeated during our time on Valor…I wanted to demonstrate it's magical powers and then let you attempt to cast it, so I can see your prowess in the anima field. Are you ready, Erk?' The young mage nodded, his heart was beating at a rapid pace of being allowed to cast such a powerful spell, but he watched carefully how Lord Pent casted the spell, closing his eyes and blades emerged out of nowhere and cut a nearby bush in pieces. Erk couldn't believe his eyes, but then Pent handed the tome over to him, and signaled that it was his turn.

'Okay…' Erk took a deep breath, then closed his eyes like his tutor did, and attempted to cast the spell, his teacher being surprised at him being able to properly simulate his casting movements, but then he noticed something. Erk was hesitating to fully cast the spell, and only faint images of the blade emerged, but quickly began to vanish, and Erk was starting to stutter in his speech, until he couldn't complete casting it, and opened up his eyes, sighing in his failure. 'Erk, what happened? Is there something wrong?' Pent looked with concern at his student, who then stood up, and shrugged: 'Sorry, Master, but….I can't do it right now…I've probably not slept enough last night and have been indulging in my reading far too much…' Pent nodded and walked back inside the Castle placing a hand on his student's shoulder. 'I understand that. Excalibur does require a lot of patience and focus from the caster…but I have to say, I was impressed you could cast it initially without any problems. You're really improving, Erk.' Erk smiled at the compliment from his master, and then hurried off. 'Sorry, Master, I just realized dinner's soon, and I have to change my clothing.' Pent watched as he ran towards the main hallway.

Once Erk rushed in his room, he closed the door and began to change his outfit into a more comfortable purple-colored dining clothing, and in the process, his mind rushed through many thoughts, many of which were focussed around Serra. 'Damn….why can't I stop thinking about her…?' His thoughts were conflicting around both her annoying and interesting aspects. He didn't want to admit to his teacher that it were his thoughts about Serra that caused his problems with casting Excalibur. He took a deep breath and decided that perhaps the best person to turn to advice for in these kind of situations would be Lady Louise, asking her when they would be alone. After he was done changing, he walked outside and was greeted by one of the servants informing him that dinner was being served, and Erk nodded.

After about a half hour, the group was done eating. Erk, who normally enjoyed dinner quite a lot with his family, was constantly on guard listening to Serra's ramblings about how she was vital in accompanying Lord Hector in his travels and how everybody couldn't have survived if she wasn't there to heal them right away. He breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't talk too much about his interactions with her, as he feared that she might reveal some nasty disputes between each other towards Pent and Louise, who apparently just laughed and smiled through her claims, and in order to avoid any pointless bickering with her, just nodded along and commented with as few words as possible while chewing and swallowing his food. He couldn't have been more happier when they left the dining room.

Pent and Louise went outside to sit in the gardens and enjoy the star-sighting together, while Erk just headed to one of the main rooms and sat down on the nearest sofa, picking one of the books from a nearby bookcase trying to find some peace and quiet after enduring all this stress, sighing a breath of relief. 'So far everything's going good…' He opened up a page and started to zip his eyes past the lines, but he wasn't even past the first page, until he heard that voice again. 'Hey Erk!' He gritted his teeth briefly before he turned around and looked at the pink-haired girl who came walking up closer to him all excited. 'Oh, Serra…I thought your talking during dinner exhausted you?' He said with a tired expression towards her.

'Well, I had a dry throat from that, but a glass of water fixed me up.' She replied. 'You know, Erk, I am kinda surprised. I never imagined you lived this luxurious life, especially with one of the most highest nobles in all of Etruria!' She smiled deviously. 'Why didn't you tell me about any of that? I thought all this time that you were just another mercenary mage out there who wanted to earn some money when I encountered you about a year ago in Bern when I was sent there to heal injured people at a village.'

'…I was afraid that you might become too close with me if I told you about my home.' Erk said trying to continue his reading further afterwards. Serra pouted and grew rather upset at this reaction. '…Fine! And to think I actually cared for a stiff bookworm like you all that time!' She walked with loud footsteps up the stairs to where her room was, and Erk didn't turn his head to look after her, but he could hear the closing of a door, shortly after hearing it, he closed the book and put it on the table, and buried his face in his hands, groaning in utter frustration. 'Grrr…why can't I talk with her normally?'

Though just as he fell in complete despair about himself, he suddenly felt a hand placed on his shoulders, and he removed his hands from his eyes, looking behind him and seeing that Lady Louise stood behind him, looking with a worried face at him. 'Oh, Erk… Is there something wrong?' She sat down next to him on the sofa, and wrapped a arm around his shoulder, trying to comfort him. Erk looked at her with saddened eyes, finally letting go of his serious facade, and opened up to her: 'I…don't know what to think of Serra, Lady Louise…' The woman rubbed his shoulder in comfort and responded: 'Ah, it's just as Lord Pent and I were talking about a bit earlier. We already thought that you had some difficulties with Serra since she came in our house.' Erk looked with wide eyes to Louise. 'You and Lord Pent were both aware of it?…I'm sorry to have been such a worry to both of you…' he looked down at the ground, and Louise continued. 'Erk…sorry if I may insult your feelings… but do you by any chance care deeply for Serra?'

Erk gasped hearing that from Lady Louise, and he stuttered in defense: 'C-care for her? Lady Louise, she and I bickered a lot during our travels together, and she would often brag to me about various things, it was very stressful to protect her in battle, and she ordered me around every whim, even when I wasn't employed by her!' Louise continued with her calm voice: 'Yet somehow, you can't stop thinking about her? Surely there must be something good to all her apparent flaws if you can't keep your mind off of her?' Erk sighed and silently mumbled towards her: 'She did admit to me at one point that she was the only one in the entire group to understand my lack of self-care, and that's why she sticked around with me…and I confessed to her that I was also concerned for her well-being and thought that nobody would look for her if she would disappear…'

Louise smiled: 'So you do care about her, Listen Erk…I'm sure that Serra might have a good reason for all that behavior…and she did seem honest about her intentions here. Lord Pent and I were certainly amused by her stories during our dinner, and we didn't take her claims that seriously.' Erk brightened up a bit. 'You…didn't?'

Louise comforted him further: 'Truly we didn't. Erk, if you really care for her, I think you should talk with her. She did sound upset a few minutes ago, and I think that otherwise you would never forget that.' Erk took a deep breath, and stood back up on his feet. 'Thank you, Lady Louise…I appreciate you and Master Pent's advice dearly.' He set out for the stairs right away. 'Anytime, dear…oh, and her room is the 3rd door to your right.'

Erk came up to the doorstep of where Serra's room was located, and he stopped for a minute to think about what he was going to say to her. While thinking, he heard a faint crying behind the door, and he knew he had to undertake action right now, and he gently opened the door, seeing a sad Serra sniffing the pillow on her bed sheet, sitting on the spread. She heard his footsteps and looked up, gnarling at him: 'What do you want now, Erk? I won't trouble you anymore for tonight and will depart tomorrow morn-' she was cut off as Erk calmly apologized. Serra, I'm deeply sorry for being such a jerk.' Serra sniffed away in confusion, weeping the tears off her cheeks.

'Erk…why do you care for somebody like me?' Serra finally calmed down, still looking down at the ground. 'I'm just a simple cleric serving Ostia, and I'm constantly trying to show off to everyone…' Erk sat down next to her, and continued talking, this time showing a more gentle voice. 'Serra…why do you want to do that? Do you have…excuse me if I put it like this…troubles?' Serra slowly lifted her head up and mumbled softly to him: 'My…my life was miserable in my childhood…but I bet you wouldn't care to hear it…' She looked away a bit gloomy, but Erk made a bold move and put his hand on her shoulder, stating: 'Serra, I do care…please tell me.'

She turned around and felt a bit more at ease seeing his gentle expression, and started. 'Okay…you see…I was born into a high noble Etrurian family, as contriving as that may sound.' She expected Erk to question it, but much to her surprise, he didn't, he still looked concerned at her, taking that claim seriously. 'Please continue.'

'O-Okay,..well I was really young back then, I couldn't really remember my parents their names…but I did see a lot of high noble house stuff like sofa's, paintings and jewels, so I figured that I was born into a high noble house…but one day, my parents brought me somewhere, riding on a horse, towards a large but run-down building…they holder my hand as they entered the abbey, entering a room with a elderly woman discussing something with them. I couldn't understand a word of what they said, but after a few minutes…they just left, telling me something I'll always remember: 'Serra, I hope you'll be happy in here.' and then they just…left. They didn't even glance back at me, they just walked towards the door, and left. I tried to follow them, screaming 'Mommy, daddy!' But they just pulled off from my clinging, and then left the door. I felt so sad that moment…that…that my parents just abandoned me at a place like that.'

Erk sighed deeply as a he rubbed Serra's shoulder, trying to comfort her as her facial expression grew more tear-shedding. 'And what happened then?'

'Then the elderly woman holder my hand, and she guided me towards another door, opening it. I saw a lot of kids around my age teasing each other, and I heard a lot of screaming. She said something to them, and they all stood still. Then she probably introduced me, and they all looked with confused reactions towards me. I could tell from their looks that they weren't happy with me, and I shyly waved towards them. They all said 'Hello, Serra.' In almost perfect synchronization, it scared me. The woman then led me to the sleeping chambers, and showed me a old mattress with a blanket over it, saying that that was my sleeping place. I felt like I was about to burst into tears, but then she said class was going to start…'

Erk gave her a tissue he took from his pocket, seeing tears well up from her eyelids again. He wanted to say something, but he felt to hear her out better. She accepted it and wiped it off, but then continued. 'It…it was awful. While I did learn how to speak and write properly, I remembered more awful things from it than good memories. The woman teached us about St. Elimine, and how the great goddess would grant a peaceful life on us all when we would grow older and start to accept each other as a first start. The other kids never took it seriously, and when the teacher was gone, they often fought amongst themselves on the little food we had. I remember one nasty girl called Rella…She always teased me, like calling me 'a snooty pig', and pulled my pigtails. She always acted so mean towards me, and I tried my best to talk with her, but she just ignored me. One night, I had enough of all that teasing…and I hardened myself up. I started to imitate her and act just as snooty as her in a bid to try and get back at her, but she laughed me off as trying to imitate her greatness. I finally had enough of it, and I slapped her across the face. The woman saw it and had me locked up in the sleeping place as punishment. But it was all worth it, for that one slap against that brat. After that moment, everybody feared me, even Rella. They still wouldn't accept me, but it was better than being ignored and having my hair pulled, so I kept that facade up for so long, it became part of my personality…'

Erk finally said something. 'So that's why you often desire praise and compliments from folks around you, am I right?' Serra just nodded silently. 'But…how did you came into service of Ostia?' Serra explained further:

'One winter night, a cleric from House Ostia visited the abbey on a missionary, sent to check up how the poor were living. The woman tried to show her how everything was going, and the cleric saw how abysmal the place was, and she told the woman something which I overheard from the other side of the door while on cleaning duty: 'I will pick out the most poor soul, and take her with me to serve into house Ostia, to show her St. Elimine's loving grace.' I saw my chance. I had to escape that horrible place, even if it meant begging to her shoes. I whispered to every child to act along with my play, and once they entered in the room. I faked that I fainted from lack of feeding. The cleric ran over to me and holded me in her arms. The woman told her that she didn't see something odd with me the past few weeks, and she questioned if I was faking it. I told her that I was cropping it all up for the sake of the others, and when she questioned the other kids, they all nodded in agreement. I knew that it wasn't true, that they knew I would pester them endlessly if they didn't comply, but I didn't care. I had to escape that abbey, even if it meant intimidating the others.' Serra took a deep breath and continued.

'The cleric then said her mind was made up, and she took me away from that awful place. I was smiling as I thought in myself: 'Finally no more sleeping on that old mattress, and no more sharing little food with others that I almost had nothing. She took me into a church a few days later when we arrived in Ostia, and the other clerics all taught me the ways of St. Elimine and how to wield the staff. I constantly worked hard in my studies and my preaches, in hopes of gaining the cleric's favor and avoid being sent back to that abbey, so I constantly sought out to gain a compliment from them, I always asked: 'Did I do a good job, Miss?' to the point it also grew on me. And that's how I grew up until I was assigned my first mission outside of Ostia and when I met you at the end of that assignment.'

Erk comforted her further as she finished: 'Serra…to be honest, I can relate to your pain, the pain of being alone.' Serra looked with wide eyes at him, and questioned it. 'What? But…you have such a wonderful life in here with your mother and father!' Erk interrupted her at that part, sighing. 'Master Pent and Lady Louise are not my real parents, Serra.' Serra got even more intrigued by that statement. 'Huh? But who are your real parents then?'

'My parents were a pair of sages for hire, or mercenary's, rather. They were often away on work, and because when I was a mere infant, they took turns on who raised me while the other went out for work. They already had so very little to come by because of their minimal income and the expenses that came with feeding me. And seeing how poor they were, I was sad. Then one day I saw one of my father's tomes, and I started reading through them. It was difficult, but I thought overtime of my parents, and so I pulled through. I wanted to learn desperately in order to aid them in their work and earn more money. I figured they wouldn't want me to become a mercenary like them and lead a life of danger, so I secretly studied at night a lot, and skipped sleep when I woke up at night and quietly studied the tomes on my own.'

'But…how did you end up with Lord Pent and Lady Louise then? What happened to your parents?' Serra asked, a sad look on her face showing as she heard about the origins of Erk's obsessive studious behavior.

'…One day, during the winter, my father grew dangerously ill from a cold he got during a mission. My mother tried all her best to aid him, I even put aside my own food money in hopes of curing my father…but it was a uncurable disease he caught, and I still remember the night when my mother put me to sleep, tears falling on my cheeks, and lying to me that everything would be fine with father. I heard she coughed as well as she exited the room, and I followed behind her downstairs. She then kneeled on the ground as my father lay down on the ground, choking and coughing up his last breath, and then he closed his eyes. She cried and coughed as well, almost so loud that she could almost get no breath either. I was incredibly scared, and I ran over to her, in a vain attempt of trying to comfort and help her.' Erk was now almost stuttering in his speech and snorted, trying to suppress his tears, Serra rubbing his back trying to comfort him on her turn.

'T-Then my mother pushed me away, telling to not come near her…I was welling up tears as well, when as if a prayer was answered, a blue-haired man opened the front door, asking if everything was okay as he heard loud noises in it while passing by. My mother…she moved towards him with all her breath left and told, no…begged him to take care of me, as she was dying of the illness as well, having caught on it from her husband as well. The man was frightened, but he rubbed her backside, telling her: 'Don't worry, I will take care of your child…I will raise him as if he were my own…you can rest peacefully.' She smiled as she then coughed her last breath and collapsed to the floor. I ran over to her and screamed: 'Mother? No…not you too…' I was crying….crying so deeply at losing both of my parents in only a few minutes…' Erk was now crying as well, Serra clinging both of her arms around him trying to comfort him.

Erk wiped off the tears and continued, his voice growing less distraught. 'Then, the man lifted me up in both his arms, and calmed me down by stroking my hair with his left hand. 'Don't worry, I will take care of you.' he said. I was still crying softly, but I knew from the tone of his voice that he was sincere. He then carried me away to a wagon pulled by a horse and commanded by a servant, and once inside, we rode off. Along the way I was reading in the anima magic tome I kept from my father which I hided in my robe, and the man got interested from watching me read it in utmost silence. 'Do you enjoy learning magic?' he said. I nodded silently, a part of me still a bit uncertain from the man, but then he showed me a tome that lied next to him. 'I like to study magic as well. I happen to know the same type of magic as you do. Would you like me to teach you further into the ways of anima magic?' He smiled warmly at me, and that 's where I was convinced that he was a kind man, and I was right to trust him, and I nodded, saying: 'My name is Erk, nice to meet you, Mister.'

'My name is Pent. That's a nice name you have, Erk. I think you'll be a great mage in no time.' Then after awhile, the wagon stopped, and we left it. I was amazed at the castle we were at, and servants opened the door. My eyes couldn't believe what I was seeing, and then shortly after we entered, a blonde-haired woman came running to me, and asked Lord Pent 'who this adorable boy was'. He told her that I was his student, and then she hugged me tightly, me blushing at receiving so much love from these two, it almost scared me. Then I grew up with these kind people for the last 2 years until I went off on a training mission as a mercenary on suggestion of Lord Pent. And that's when I met you as my first real assignment.'

'Erk…I'm sorry that you lost your parents so early…' Serra looked with a sad face at him while hugging him. 'Losing your parents like that is a lot worse than them just abandoning you…' Erk looked sad as well, hugging Serra too. 'But…I was blessed to have met Lord Pent and Lady Louise shortly afterwards…I can't even imagine how painful it is to grow up in a abbey, without any parental love or care…' The two closed their eyes as they embraced each other tighter, their hands now starting to stroke each other's cheeks.

Feeling each other's warm hands on their cheeks, they thought different things about each other. Different than when they met each other those past times and knowing each other's painful past now. They couldn't care if they were holding each other so close. They both felt as if they wanted to comfort each other… Erk took the first step and he gently whispered in Serra's ear: 'Serra…I'll always be there for you…' She blushed and smiled, whispering back: 'Me too for you, Erk…' The two closed their eyes as they kissed each other. Their lips met as they hugged each other gently, realizing their love for one another.

Their kissing slowly evolved stronger, and soon they found their hands rubbing their bodies, and their tongues wrestling with each other to enter in their mouths. Tensions grew stronger as they started to moan each other's name, and their kissing grew stronger with every second. Ultimately their kissing grew so strong they almost couldn't breathe, and the two were forced to break apart to gasp for air. 'Erk…'

'Serra…' The two smiled and blushed heavily at each other, Erk stroking through Serra's pink beautiful hair and her cute face, and she removed the knots holding her pigtails, and she showed to him that she had long, charming hair. Erk was enchanted by it, and he felt the urge to kiss her all over again. Serra stroked a finger past his charming purple locks, and grabbed his cheeks, closing their eyes and the two kissing each other deeper and moaning each other's names in-between the many gasps and moans.

The next morning came soon, and after some breakfast, during which Erk and Serra just smiled at each other, claiming to Pent and Louise that they just talked things out, Erk said he was going to change his morning robes into something more fit for his training, and rushed upstairs. The three smiled, and Pent stood up as well. 'I need to change my attire as well.' He faintly excused himself. Louise saw right through it, but played along. 'Alright, dear.'

Right as Pent left the dining room as well, Louise smiled brightly, and asked Serra cheerfully: 'And, did Erk and you make up?' Serra giggled and could barely contain her blushing: 'Yes, we did make up…quite for a long time too…' she said with a shy voice, looking away from Louise and to the ground.

Louise immediately catched on to what was going on between her and Erk, and she holder Serra's hand. 'Serra, you do seem like a really nice girl…if it's possible, and it's just a suggestion, but if you really would like it, you could come and-' she was cut off by Serra smiling widely and beaming with joy: 'Yes, I'll accept, Lady Louise!' Louise could barely contain her joy. 'Oh, that's wonderful-Oh!' She groaned as she suddenly held her stomach and rubbed it gently. Serra stood up and ran to her side. 'L-Lady Louise, are you alright?' Louise smiled almost immediately after she asked, and she replied calmly: 'Yes, dear…I just have to not excite myself too much because of my child growing inside of me…'

Serra gasped. 'You're…pregnant?' Louise put a finger to her lips. 'Sssh, be quiet, dear…it's a surprise to Erk, but yes…I'm pregnant with Lord Pent's child for about a month now…I plan to tell him soon. But…I have one problem, I haven't come up with a name for the child yet.' Serra smiled, and put a finger to her chin, thinking for a bit. 'Oh, I know, Lady Louise!' She then whispered into her ear: 'How about Clarine if she's a girl?' Louise closed her eyes briefly in joy: 'Ah yes… a wonderful name.' She then opened her eyes. 'But what if it's a boy?' Serra followed right after her question. 'Well, how about…Klein then?'

'That's a wonderful name too. I'll take it into consideration.' Louise smiled. Though shortly afterwards, Erk came down in his traveling clothes, much to Louise and Serra's surprise.

'Oh, Erk, what are you going to do?' Louise questioned him. Erk smiled warmly: 'Lady Louise, I would like to escort Serra to Ostia, if that's fine with her, of course.'

Serra smiled and accepted it gladly: 'Oh, I gladly will, Erky!' She then set off to grab her tome, and Louise smiled at both her and Erk. 'She's a fine girl, isn't she?'

'Yes, Lady Louise…' Erk blushed trying to cover it. 'She sure is.'

After seeing the two off, Pent and Louise returned back inside, and headed towards the garden, enjoying the view. 'Ah, isn't this view lovely, Louise? I'm certainly glad that Erk finally managed to learn something else than just anima magic.' Pent smiled. Louise holder his hand. 'Yes, Lord Pent. But, would you mind if another child were to live with us?'

'Ah, so it developed that deeply?' Pent looked at his wife, who nodded. 'Then it's all fine with me, Louise. I know they will be a good influence for our child…' the two smiled warmly at each other.


End file.
